39: Chapter 39 Level Bottleneck, Dao Palace Trial

The phenomenon in the Qingming Mountain Range lasted for a full quarter of an hour.

The dust kicked up by the collapse of Dragon Head Cave had not yet settled when the dark clouds in the sky rolled and gathered like ink. Lightning snakes weaved through the clouds, and every flash illuminated the mountains, making them flicker between light and shadow. Even more startling was the dragon roar echoing from deep within the mountains—it was no longer an illusory resonance of the Soul, but a real, tangible roar that seemed to originate from the depths of the earth, shaking the entire forest.

Lin Ye and the other six stood at the mountainside with the mountain guardian, Qingxuanzi, gazing up at the upheaval of heaven and earth. The Anti-Miasma Jade Pendant in Li Qingshan's hand was already covered in cracks; the last, loudest dragon roar had shattered the defensive Magical Artifacts on them.

"Three hundred years... This old Daoist has guarded the mountain for three hundred years and has never seen the dragon vein erupt like this." Qingxuanzi muttered to himself, his green bamboo staff deeply embedded in the ground, its runes flashing wildly as he tried to stabilize the earth veins within a ten-zhang radius. "Little child, what exactly is in that stone box of yours?"

Lin Ye did not hide it: "A Cultivation Technique called the Void Scripture, of legendary quality."

"Void..." Qingxuanzi's pupils constricted. "A Legacy of the Law of Space?! No wonder, no wonder! The spatial fluctuations disrupted the balance of the dragon vein's Origin, just like throwing a boulder into a calm lake. The dragon vein has been dormant for many years and naturally reacted when suddenly stimulated by such a level of Law power."

No sooner had he finished speaking than the streaks of light on the distant horizon arrived before them.

There were three streaks of light, each a different color: one golden-red like fire, one ice-blue like water, and one earthy-yellow like the earth. After circling above the group, the three lights slowly descended onto a boulder not far away.

As the light faded, the true forms of the three people were revealed.

The leader was none other than Ji Mingyue. She had changed into a pale golden dress, with the Sun God Sword at her waist. She had removed her veil, and her pale golden eyes swept over the group, lingering on Lin Ye for a moment with a flash of surprise.

To her left was a woman in an ice-blue Daoist robe, who looked to be in her early twenties, with a cold expression and an ice crystal mark on her forehead. To her right was a burly middle-aged man wearing earthy-yellow armor, carrying a huge shield on his back, his eyes as steady as a mountain.

"Senior Sister Ji, this is the place." The woman in the ice-blue Daoist robe spoke, her voice as cold as a frozen spring. "The source of the spatial fluctuations and the center of the dragon vein's anomaly."

Ji Mingyue nodded and looked at Qingxuanzi: "Senior Mountain Guardian, we are Disciples of the Yaoguang Holy Land, here by order of the Elder Council to investigate the phenomenon in the Qingming Mountain Range. Please tell us what happened just now."

Her attitude was polite, but her tone carried an unquestionable majesty. As one of the seven great Holy Lands of the Eastern Wasteland, the Yaoguang Holy Land certainly had the confidence to act this way.

Qingxuanzi cupped his hands: "So you are the talented Disciples of the Holy Land. This is a long story..."

He briefly explained the process of how Lin Ye and the others came to collect the Dragon Saliva, the opening of the stone box, and the acquisition of the Void Scripture, naturally omitting some details. But Ji Mingyue was extremely intelligent and immediately grasped the key point.

"Void Scripture?" She looked at Lin Ye, a flash of complexity in her pale golden eyes. "No wonder when I saw you that day, I always felt there was a special aura fluctuation on you. The Law of Space... Chaos Body combined with the Law of Space, Lin Ye, your Opportunity is truly enviable."

"You flatter me, Miss Ji." Lin Ye was neither humble nor arrogant. "I wonder what the Holy Land's view on this matter is?"

"View?" The burly man behind Ji Mingyue spoke in a deep voice. "Kid, do you know what the appearance of a Legacy of the Law of Space means? In the entire Eastern Wasteland, only the Ji Family and the Jiang Family possess complete Legacies of the Law of Space, and even those are incomplete. If this Void Scripture of yours were to leak out, it would be enough to trigger a struggle at the Holy Land level!"

The woman in the ice-blue Daoist robe added: "More importantly, the dragon vein's anomaly has already alarmed the forces within a radius of thousands of miles. Within three days, experts from all major Sects, aristocratic families, and Loose Cultivators will flock to the Qingming Mountain Range. You... are in danger."

The atmosphere suddenly became heavy.

Chen Hao and the others instinctively gripped their weapons. If what these two said was true, they were now guilty of harboring a treasure and could become targets at any moment.

But Ji Mingyue waved her hand: "Alright, Junior Brother Zhao, Junior Sister Liu, no need to scare them." She looked at Lin Ye. "Lin Ye, I came here today not to seize the Legacy. The Yaoguang Holy Land has its own rules and will not forcibly seize the Opportunity of others. But I need you to answer a few questions truthfully."

"Please speak."

"First, is the Void Scripture complete? Or rather, did you obtain the Complete Manual or an Incomplete Manual?"

"Incomplete Manual, only the first volume."

A look of 'as expected' flashed in Ji Mingyue's eyes: "Second, are you willing to join the Yaoguang Holy Land? With your Aptitude, plus the Void Scripture Legacy, it is enough to become a Core Disciple, and you might even be taken as a personal Disciple by a Grand Elder. The Holy Land can provide you with protection and allow you to better Cultivate the Law of Space."

This was the second time she had recruited him, and the conditions were even more generous.

Lin Ye still shook his head: "Sorry, I have my own force to manage."

"Expected." Ji Mingyue was not surprised. "Then the third question—are you willing to form an alliance with my Yaoguang Holy Land? Not joining, but an equal alliance relationship. The Holy Land can provide you with a certain degree of protection and resource support, and you... need to take action for the Holy Land at an appropriate time in the future."

This proposal moved Lin Ye.

An equal alliance relationship was much freer than becoming a Disciple. And the protection of the Yaoguang Holy Land could indeed solve the immediate crisis.

"What do I need to pay?" He asked.

"Nothing for now." Ji Mingyue said. "The Holy Land values your potential. A Cultivator who possesses the Chaos Body and the Space Legacy, as long as they do not die prematurely, will at least be at the Holy Lord level in the future. The Holy Land is investing in you. Of course, if you do something that harms the interests of the Holy Land in the future, the alliance agreement will be automatically terminated."

A very fair deal.

Lin Ye thought for a moment and nodded: "I agree."

"A wise choice." Ji Mingyue showed a smile. "Then from today on, the Heavenly Court is an ally of my Yaoguang Holy Land. Junior Brother Zhao, give him the Alliance Token."

The burly man took out a jade token from his arms and tossed it to Lin Ye. The token was the size of a palm, made of white jade, with the big dipper pattern carved on the front and the word "Alliance" on the back.

[Yaoguang Alliance Token (Special)]

Type: Identity Credential / Special Item

Effect: The holder of this token is considered an ally of the Yaoguang Holy Land. Enjoy certain privileges within the sphere of influence of the Yaoguang Holy Land (10% discount on purchasing items, increased permission to accept missions, access to intelligence support, etc.). At the same time, when the Holy Land issues a summons, you must fulfill your obligations as an ally.

Description: The highest-level alliance credential issued by the Yaoguang Holy Land, usually only given to individuals or forces with potential. The holder of this token is, to some extent, protected by the Holy Land.

"Thank you." Lin Ye put away the jade token. "Then the immediate crisis..."

"The Holy Land will handle it." Ji Mingyue looked at the sky. "We will announce to the outside world that the phenomenon in the Qingming Mountain Range is a natural evolution of the dragon vein and has nothing to do with the Legacy. At the same time, we will send Disciples to patrol the periphery of the mountain range to stop unrelated personnel from going deep. But..."

She paused: "This can only stop most small and medium-sized forces. Ancient aristocratic families like the Ji Family and the Jiang Family, or Holy Lands of the same level like Yaochi or Daoyi, may not necessarily buy it. You had better leave here as soon as possible and return to the Capital City of Yan State to avoid the limelight. After all, that is the territory of the Yan State royal family, shrouded in national destiny, and outsiders will not easily make a move."

Lin Ye nodded: "We were planning to return today anyway."

"That's good." Ji Mingyue looked at Qingxuanzi: "Senior Mountain Guardian, please guard the Qingming Mountain Range with the Holy Land Disciples. Although the dragon vein is rioting, it may not be a bad thing—perhaps this is a precursor to the recovery of the dragon vein."

Qingxuanzi cupped his hands: "It is this old Daoist's duty."

With matters arranged, the three of Ji Mingyue turned into light and left again. Coming in a hurry and leaving in a hurry, the Holy Land's way of doing things was indeed swift and decisive.

Lin Ye looked at the Alliance Token in his hand, feeling emotional. This was the value of strength—if he were just an ordinary player, let alone getting the protection of a Holy Land, he would probably have been suppressed by those three and had his treasure snatched away just now.

"Let's go, back to the capital." He put away his thoughts. "This place is not suitable for staying long."

The group returned the same way. When passing through the Mist Valley, those fog monsters seemed to have been affected by the dragon vein riot and became unusually violent. But with the bronze buddha lamp and the few [Anti-Evil Talismans] temporarily gifted by Qingxuanzi, they managed to pass through without any danger.

Going down the mountain, they found the wind-chasing colts tied in the woods, and the seven people galloped toward the capital.

No words were spoken along the way.

When they returned to the capital, it was already evening. The afterglow of the setting sun dyed the city walls golden-red, and the merchants and commoners entering and leaving the city gate were endless, a peaceful scene, as if it were two different worlds from the phenomenon in the Qingming Mountain Range.

But Lin Ye keenly noticed that there were three times more guards at the city gate than usual, and they were all elites above Level 30. The light of a Formation could be vaguely seen flowing on the city wall, obviously having activated some kind of defensive Restriction.

"It seems the royal family has also received the news." Su Qingyue whispered.

"Normal." Lin Ye was not surprised. "The dragon vein riot affects the entire Yan State, the royal family cannot be unaware. Let's go back to the headquarters first and see what information Qin Ruoxue has."

Returning to the Heavenly Court headquarters, Qin Ruoxue had been waiting in the meeting hall for a long time.

"Brother Ye, you are finally back!" She stepped forward to greet them, her face heavy. "Something happened in the capital."

"Tell me slowly."

Qin Ruoxue sorted out her thoughts and reported quickly: "Starting from yesterday noon, many strangers have arrived in the capital one after another. According to my intelligence network statistics, there are at least two hundred new players above Level 30, and at least ten spies from different forces. Some of these people have moved into inns, some have rented houses, but they are all secretly inquiring about you and the news of the Qingming Mountain Range."

She paused: "What's more troublesome is that the imperial palace has also taken action. This morning, the royal family suddenly announced the closure of the imperial city for three days, citing a 'Sacrificial Ceremony'. But according to the informants I planted in the palace, the royal family is actually mobilizing the imperial guards to strengthen the defense of the imperial city. And... His Majesty has summoned three royal consultants in a row, all of whom are experts above Level 50."

Lin Ye frowned: "The royal family is on guard. It seems they are also aware of the crisis."

"Also," Qin Ruoxue added, "the Yaoguang Holy Land has sent an official document announcing an alliance with the Heavenly Court. The document was delivered this afternoon, and now the whole capital is talking about it. Some are envious, some are jealous, and some... are planning in the dark."

"Planning what?"

"Not sure, but definitely not a good thing." Qin Ruoxue said. "Several guild leaders of major guilds met secretly this afternoon, the location was in the 'Heaven' private room of 'Zuixian Tower'. My informant couldn't get in, but heard them mention words like 'Heavenly Court', 'Legacy', and 'get a piece of the pie'."

Chen Hao said angrily: "These people want to take advantage of the fire to rob?"

"Very normal." Lin Ye was very calm. "The temptation of the Void Scripture is too great. Even with the protection of the Holy Land, it cannot stop the greed of some people. Besides, the protection of the Holy Land also has a scope and cannot cover everything."

He looked at the group: "In the next few days, no one should go out alone. Chen Hao, strengthen the defense of the headquarters, and activate all Formations. Qian Duoduo, suspend all external transactions and shrink funds. Qin Ruoxue, continue to collect information, especially the movements of those strange forces."

"Understood!"

"In addition..." Lin Ye pondered for a moment. "I want to go into seclusion for a few days."

"Seclusion?" Su Qingyue was taken aback. "In this situation..."

"Precisely because the situation is tense, I need to improve my strength as soon as possible." Lin Ye explained. "After returning from the Qingming Mountain Range, I have reached the 30-level Bottleneck. I need to complete the Dao Palace Realm Trial and break through to the Dao Palace Realm. Only by improving my strength can I truly deter those petty people."

Level 30!

Everyone was shocked. It had only been a little over a month since the game launched, and most players were still struggling around Level 20, and the top ones were only Level 25 or 26. Level 30, this was the first player to touch the Bottleneck of a major Realm!

"Dao Palace Realm Trial..." Chen Hao muttered. "I've heard of it. That's the task that must be completed to break through from the Wheel Sea Realm to the Dao Palace Realm. The content of each player's trial is different, but they are all very difficult. Brother Ye, what is your trial?"

Lin Ye opened the System panel to view the mission details:

[Dao Palace Realm Trial Mission]

Task Content: Go to the Wind and Thunder Valley and kill the master of the Wind and Thunder Valley—Thunder Eagle King (Level 40 Boss)

Time Limit: 7 days

Failure Penalty: Level reduced by 5, unable to accept Breakthrough missions again within one month

Task Reward: Break through to the Dao Palace Realm, all attributes significantly improved, unlock the Dao Palace Realm cultivation System

Special Note: This mission is an exclusive trial for the Chaos Heavenly Emperor Body, and the difficulty is 300% of that for ordinary players. The Thunder Eagle King possesses the special skill "wind and thunder wings", which grants immunity to 50% of Wind and Thunder attribute damage.

Level 40 Boss! And the difficulty is three times that of ordinary players!

Everyone gasped. The Dao Palace Realm Trial for ordinary players usually only requires killing a Level 35 elite monster or completing a complex task chain. Lin Ye, on the other hand, had to challenge a Boss 10 levels higher, and an enhanced version at that!

"This... this is too perverted, right?" Zhang Meng clicked his tongue. "Level 40 Boss, we almost had a group wipe just fighting a Level 35 Soul General in the Burial Dragon Valley before. How can we fight this?"

Su Qingyue was relatively calm: "But Lin Ye now has the Void Scripture and has mastered the Law of Space. And his Chaos Power has a special attack effect on spiritual bodies. The Thunder Eagle King is a physical monster. The restraint effect of Chaos Power might not be that strong, but at least it can cause normal damage."

"The key is how to find the Thunder Eagle King and how to deal with its 'wind and thunder wings'." Lin Ye thought. "The Wind and Thunder Valley is on the southeast border of the Yan State, about three hundred miles away from the capital. A round trip will take two days, and the actual exploration and combat time will only be five days."

He looked at Qin Ruoxue: "Ruoxue, do you have any information about the Wind and Thunder Valley?"

“Yes, but not many.” Qin Ruoxue quickly flipped through the documents.

“Wind and Thunder Valley is a famous dangerous area within Yan State. It is battered by gales year-round, and thunder strikes from the sky. The valley is inhabited by a large number of wind and thunder attribute Yao Beasts, the most powerful of which is the Thunder Eagle King. According to records, the Thunder Eagle King is a Rank 40 boss. He has flight capabilities, moves extremely fast, and his attacks carry a paralysis effect. His nest is on a cliff in the deepest part of Wind and Thunder Valley, where the wind and thunder power of the entire valley is most concentrated.”

“Flight capabilities...” Lin Ye frowned. This was indeed troublesome.

Although he had the Void Step, it was a short-distance flash, not flight. If the Thunder Eagle King stayed in the sky, he wouldn't be able to hit him at all.

Unless... there was a way to force him down, or he himself gained flight capabilities.

“wind and thunder wings...” Lin Ye suddenly remembered this term from the mission prompt. “Could there be related items among the drops from the Thunder Eagle King?”

“It's very possible.” Qin Ruoxue nodded. “According to game settings, such special monsters usually drop items related to their own characteristics. If the Thunder Eagle King really drops ‘wind and thunder wings’ type equipment or Materials, then the value would be immense.”

“Good.” Lin Ye made a decision. “We set off for Wind and Thunder Valley in three days. In these three days, I need to familiarize myself with the usage of the Void Scripture, and you all should prepare as well. For this operation, I will only take Qingyue, Chen Hao, and Zhang Meng. Everyone else will stay behind to guard the headquarters.”

“Why only take three people?” Wang Iron Pillar was puzzled. “There is strength in numbers.”

“Wind and Thunder Valley has a special environment; having too many people will actually make it easier to trigger more monsters.” Lin Ye explained. “Besides, the headquarters also needs people to guard it. Li Qingshan, you are responsible for maintaining the headquarters' Formation; Bai Zhi, you prepare enough healing Medicinal Pills; Qian Duoduo, continue to collect intelligence; Ruoxue, you oversee the overall situation.”

The assignments were made, and everyone busied themselves.

Lin Ye returned to his Cultivation room and took out the Flood Dragon's Reverse Scale. Inside the scale, pale golden dragon saliva fluid flowed quietly, emitting majestic Dragon Qi.

He needed this Dragon Qi to repair the cracks in his wheel sea secret realm.

According to the method taught by Qing Xuanzi, Lin Ye placed the scale against his forehead and circulated his Chaos Power, slowly absorbing the Dragon Qi within.

A scorching and tyrannical energy surged into his body. The energy seemed to have a life of its own; after entering his Meridians, it rampaged, bringing tearing pain wherever it passed. But his Chaos Power quickly enveloped it, assimilating and taming the Dragon Qi, eventually converting it into pure Origin energy, which flowed into his wheel sea.

The dried-up Chaos bitter sea began to churn. Under the nourishment of the Dragon Qi, the cracks on the sea floor healed at a speed visible to the naked eye. Those tiny cracks disappeared first, then the medium-sized ones, and finally, the large cracks that almost ran through the entire Secret Realm were slowly sealing up.

[System Prompt: You have absorbed the Dragon Qi from the dragon saliva fluid!]

[wheel sea secret realm crack repair progress: 70% → 80% → 85% → 90% ...]

[Cultivation efficiency: -15% → -10% → -5% → -2%]

[Difficulty of breaking through to the second layer of the Dao Palace: +80% → +50% → +30% → +15%]

Lin Ye spent the entire night absorbing Dragon Qi. When the first ray of dawn shone into the room, one-third of the dragon saliva fluid inside the Flood Dragon's Reverse Scale had been consumed, and the cracks in his wheel sea secret realm had been 95% repaired!

Although there were still slight flaws, it basically did not affect his Cultivation or combat.

“It truly lives up to being the essence of a dragon vein.” Lin Ye opened his eyes, feeling the abundant power within his body. After the wheel sea secret realm recovered, the circulation of his Chaos Power became smoother, and the total amount increased by about ten percent.

Next was to familiarize himself with the Void Scripture.

He stood up, and with a thought, his body instantly “flashed” from one side of the room to the other.

Void Step!

There was no movement trajectory; it was just like teleportation. It consumed 50 points of Divine Power, the distance was exactly 10 meters, and the cooldown was 3 seconds.

Lin Ye tried repeatedly. In the room, in the courtyard, in the open space of the headquarters. Once, twice, ten times, a hundred times... He gradually grasped the feeling of this spatial movement.

It wasn't about being fast; it was true spatial jumping. At the moment of movement, he could “see” the texture of space and find the “nodes” that could be traversed. It was like finding the holes in a dense fishing net that allowed his body to pass through.

[System Prompt: Void Step proficiency improved!]

[Current proficiency: Elementary (127 / 1000)]

[Effect improvement: Maximum distance increased to 12 meters, consumption reduced to 45 points, cooldown time shortened to 2.8 seconds]

With practice, the skill effects were slowly improving.

Then it was spatial perception. This passive skill was working all the time. Lin Ye could feel the spatial structure within a ten-meter radius around him: where there were weak spatial fluctuations, that was Li Qingshan debugging the Formation; where there were stable spatial anchors, that was the core of the headquarters' Formation; where there were twisted spatial folds, that was Qian Duoduo opening a storage cabinet...

The entire world had an extra dimension in his eyes.

Finally, there was Void Cutting. Lin Ye pointed his fingers like a sword and made a virtual swipe at a sword-testing stone in the courtyard.

There was no sound of wind, no light, but a smooth cut suddenly appeared on the surface of the sword-testing stone. The upper half slowly slid off and “thumped” onto the ground. The cut was as smooth as a mirror, as if it had been severed by the sharpest blade.

[System Prompt: Void Cutting proficiency improved!]

[Current proficiency: Elementary (35 / 500)]

[Effect: Deals 300-500 points of spatial cutting damage that ignores physical defense, consumes 100 points of Divine Power, cooldown 15 seconds]

Ignoring physical defense! This was the most powerful characteristic of Void Cutting. When facing enemies with high defense, this skill was a trump card.

Over three days, Lin Ye devoted all his energy to practicing spatial Laws. The proficiency of Void Step increased to “Elementary (489 / 1000),” the maximum distance reached 15 meters, the consumption dropped to 40 points, and the cooldown was 2.5 seconds. The proficiency of Void Cutting also rose to “Elementary (112 / 500),” and the damage limit increased to 550 points.

Although it was still far from Major Achievement, at least he had practical combat capability.

On the morning of the fourth day, a four-person team gathered at the East Gate of the capital.

Lin Ye, Su Qingyue, Chen Hao, and Zhang Meng were all fully armed. Lin Ye's myriad mother qi cauldron had been repaired by seventy percent, and the bronze buddha lamp was refilled with merman oil. Su Qingyue's Vast Cold Spirit Body had recovered to seventy percent of its strength, and the power of her ice-type Spells was even greater than before. Chen Hao's silver scale spear was completely repaired and had been additionally tempered with [Armor Penetration] effect. Zhang Meng's shield was also fixed, with new defensive runes inscribed on the surface.

“Let's go.”

The four rode out of the city and galloped towards the southeast.

Wind and Thunder Valley was located on the border between Yan State and Zhao State, a lawless dangerous area. The valley was filled with howling gales and raging thunder year-round. Ordinary animals could not survive here; only Yao Beasts adapted to the wind and thunder environment could inhabit it.

The journey took a full day. By evening, the four arrived at the outskirts of Wind and Thunder Valley.

Viewed from a distance, this valley looked like a scar on the earth. The mountain walls on both sides were as steep as if cut by a knife. The valley entrance was about a hundred zhang wide and gradually narrowed inward. The sky inside the valley was dark, not because it was night, but because of the thunderclouds that never dissipated above the valley. Electric snakes danced in the clouds, and from time to time, thunder would strike down, blasting scorched black pits in the valley.

“Such heavy wind and thunder qi.” Chen Hao frowned. “Fighting in this environment, wind and thunder attribute skills will have their power significantly increased, while other attributes will be suppressed. Brother Ye, your Chaos Power should not be affected, but Senior Sister Qingyue's ice-type Spells might be compromised.”

Su Qingyue nodded: “I can feel that the ice elements here are very thin. My Spell power can only exert eighty percent at most.”

“Let's find a place to camp first.” Lin Ye observed the terrain. “We won't go in today; let's rest for a night and explore tomorrow morning.”

The four found a cave three miles outside the valley. The cave was not large, but it was enough to accommodate the four of them. The entrance was covered by vines, making it relatively hidden.

At night, Lin Ye sat alone at the cave entrance, looking towards Wind and Thunder Valley.

The thunderclouds in the sky were clearly visible even at night because lightning flashed through the clouds from time to time, illuminating the valley as if it were daytime. The wind blowing out of the valley carried a pungent, scorched smell and the aura of violent thunder elements.

“Can't sleep?” Su Qingyue's voice came from behind.

Lin Ye turned his head and saw her sitting by the campfire with her knees hugged, her light blue eyes appearing exceptionally clear under the firelight.

“Thinking about tomorrow's battle.” Lin Ye said, “The Thunder Eagle King is a Rank 40 boss and has flight capabilities. Our biggest problem is how to force him down to the ground to fight.”

“Trap him with a Formation?” Su Qingyue suggested. “Didn't Li Qingshan give you a few Formation Flags?”

“Formation Flags can only trap ground targets; they have limited effect on aerial targets.” Lin Ye shook his head. “Unless... we can attack his wings and make him unable to fly.”

“Your Void Cutting should be able to do it.” Chen Hao also walked over. “That skill ignores defense; as long as it hits, it should be able to cause considerable damage.”

Zhang Meng was the last to come out: “If you ask me, just let him fly. We'll set traps on the ground and counterattack when he dives to attack. Bird-type attack patterns are all similar: dive, claw, pull away, then dive again. We'll focus our fire when he dives; we should have a chance.”

This line of thinking made Lin Ye's eyes light up: “That makes sense. No matter how strong the Thunder Eagle King is, he is still a Yao Beast; his combat instincts outweigh his intelligence. We can take advantage of this.”

The four sat around the campfire and began to formulate a detailed tactical plan.

“First, we need bait.” Lin Ye said. “The Thunder Eagle King is very sensitive to powerful energy fluctuations. I can release Chaos Power to lure him out.”

“And then?” Chen Hao asked.

“Then, Zhang Meng is responsible for defending against the first wave of diving attacks. Qingyue uses ice-type Spells to restrict his speed, especially his wings. Chen Hao and I will be the main attackers, targeting his wings and eyes.”

Lin Ye drew a diagram on the ground: “The battle location will be the open area at the valley entrance. The terrain there is flat with no obstructions, suitable for the Thunder Eagle King to dive. But we will also easily become targets. So, we need to set up some simple cover—use rocks to pile up waist-high walls, which we can use to hide at critical moments.”

“What about poisoning weapons?” Su Qingyue suggested. “Bai Zhi prepared a few bottles of paralysis poison. Applying it to our weapons should increase the control effect.”

“Okay, but don't hold too much hope. Rank 40 bosses have very high resistance to toxins.”

The four discussed until late at night and finally formulated three plans: the best plan was a ground ambush, the second option was to lead him into narrow terrain to restrict his flight, and the worst-case scenario was a direct, head-on assault.

The next morning, the four ate dry rations, checked their equipment, and then headed towards Wind and Thunder Valley.

The moment they stepped into the valley entrance, the environment changed drastically.

Gale winds roared, and the wind was mixed with tiny thunder fragments that felt numb when they hit the body. The air was filled with the smell of ozone, produced by lightning breaking through the air. The ground was scorched black rock, barren, and occasionally one could see the bones of Yao Beasts shattered by lightning.

“Careful, there are monsters.” Lin Ye raised his hand to signal.

Not far ahead, three strange creatures were wandering.

They looked like leopards, but their bodies were not covered with fur, but with fine cyan scales. Electric sparks jumped between the scales, and when their four claws stepped on the ground, faint scorched marks were left behind.

[Wind Thunder Beast (Elite)]

Rank: 32

Health: 12000 / 12000

Attack: 380-450

Defense: 300

Trait: Medium physical defense, 50% resistance to wind and thunder attribute Spells, extremely fast movement speed

Skills: Lightning Charge (fast charge with paralysis), Wind Blade Claw Attack (ranged claw wind attack), Thunder Roar (area paralysis)

Rank 32 Elite, and three of them at once!

“I'll lure one away; you guys solve the other two as quickly as possible.” As Lin Ye said this, he activated Void Step, his figure instantly appearing in front of the Wind Thunder Beast on the right, and he slashed out with a Chaos Heaven Opening sword strike.

- 1888!

The damage was good, but the Wind Thunder Beast reacted extremely quickly. The moment it was attacked, electric light exploded on its scales, and its body turned into a streak of cyan lightning, pouncing towards Lin Ye.

Lightning Charge!

Lin Ye used Void Step again, flashing ten meters backward. The Wind Thunder Beast missed, but immediately turned around after landing and opened its mouth to spit out three wind blades.

“Clang, clang, clang!”

Lin Ye blocked the wind blades with the myriad mother qi cauldron; the cauldron shook violently, and its durability dropped again. But he successfully attracted the attention of this Wind Thunder Beast and led it away into the distance.

On the other side, Su Qingyue and the other two were already engaged with the other two Wind Thunder Beasts.

“Ice Seal Ring!”

Su Qingyue pointed her staff at the ground, and an ice-blue halo expanded. The two Wind Thunder Beasts' speed dropped sharply, and frost condensed on their bodies. Chen Hao took the Opportunity to thrust his spear; the silver scale spear carried an armor-piercing effect and stabbed fiercely into the eye socket of one Wind Thunder Beast.

- 1555! Weak point attack!

Zhang Meng raised his shield to block the other beast's attack, and a large burst of sparks erupted on the surface of the shield. The Wind Thunder Beast's claw attack was accompanied by lightning; although there was a shield block, Zhang Meng's arm was still numbed by the electricity.

“Healing!” Bai Zhi wasn't there, so Zhang Meng had to drink a bottle of Health potion himself.

The battle was intense but short. Under Su Qingyue's control and Chen Hao's fierce attack, the two Wind Thunder Beasts soon fell. Lin Ye also finished the battle on his side—the armor-ignoring characteristic of Void Cutting had a miraculous effect against the Wind Thunder Beast's high resistance, and he killed it with three slashes.

[System Prompt: You killed a Wind Thunder Beast (Rank 32 Elite) × 1!]

[Gained 4000 experience points!]

[Obtained items: Wind Thunder Scale × 3, Thunder Core Fragment × 1]

[System Prompt: Your team killed Wind Thunder Beast (Rank 32 Elite) × 2!]

[Gained 8000 experience points (shared)!]

The battle ended, and the four rested briefly. The Materials dropped by the Wind Thunder Beasts were good; Wind Thunder Scales could be used to make thunder-resistant equipment, and Thunder Core Fragments were Materials for refining thunder-type Medicinal Pills, both worth some money.

But everyone's attention was soon drawn to the movement coming from deep within the valley.

It was the sound of wings flapping, massive and powerful, with every stroke intensifying the surrounding gale. Immediately after, a sharp eagle screech echoed through the valley, the sound containing a terrifying pressure that made the four's eardrums ache.

"It's here!" Lin Ye's expression turned stern.

Deep within the valley, a massive black shadow soared into the sky.

It was an eagle, but its size was outrageously large—its wingspan was at least ten zhang, its entire body covered in cyan-black feathers, with electric sparks dancing along the edges of every feather. Its eagle eyes were as sharp as knives, its pupils deep purple, looking down at the four people on the ground as if they were four ants.

Most striking were its wings: the left wing was wrapped in cyan whirlwinds, while the right wing pulsed with purple lightning. The power of wind and thunder fused perfectly on its wings, forming a strange balance.

[Thunder Eagle King (Boss)]

Level: 40

HP: 150000/150000

Attack: 600-750

Defense: 500

Traits: High physical defense, extremely high Spell resistance (especially 50% immunity to wind and thunder attributes), flight ability, extremely fast speed

Skills: wind and thunder wings (Passive, 50% immunity to wind and thunder damage, flight speed +100%), Thunder Dive (A smash from the sky, comes with AOE paralysis), Storm Vortex (Summons a wind and thunder vortex to trap enemies), King's Pressure (Reduces all attributes of enemies in range)

Status: Left wing has an old injury (Defense -30%, occasional loss of balance when moving)

Description: The overlord of Wind and Thunder Valley, having ruled this area for over thirty years. The old injury on its left wing was left behind ten years ago while fighting another Yao Beast for territory and has yet to heal. This is both its weakness and the reason for its irritable temper.

150,000 HP! 750 attack cap! Plus all sorts of monstrous skills!

But Lin Ye keenly noticed the status "Left wing has an old injury." Defense reduced by 30%, and it would lose balance—this was the Breakthrough point!

The Thunder Eagle King circled twice in the air, seemingly confirming its prey. It let out an angry screech, then flapped its wings, transforming into a cyan-purple streak of light as it dove towards the four!

Thunder Dive!

"Zhang Meng!" Lin Ye shouted.

"Coming!" Zhang Meng roared, slamming his heavy black iron shield onto the ground. A brilliant earth-yellow light erupted from the surface of the shield, forming a massive wall of light.

"Boom!" The Thunder Eagle King crashed into the light wall. A terrifying force exploded; Zhang Meng was sent flying backward, spiderweb-like cracks appeared on the surface of his shield, and its durability instantly dropped below 10%!

But the attack had been blocked!

The Thunder Eagle King was also bounced back by the recoil, tumbling twice in the air before stabilizing itself. It clearly hadn't expected mere ants to be able to block its attack; a flash of surprise crossed its eyes, followed by even greater rage.

"Now!" Seizing the moment the Thunder Eagle King lost its balance, Lin Ye activated Void Step, his figure instantly appearing beneath its left wing.

Chaos Heaven Opening - Modified!

This time, he didn't use Sword Qi; instead, he condensed Chaos Power into his palm and struck at the old injury on the Thunder Eagle King's left wing. The feathers there were sparse, and an old scar was faintly visible.

-5888! Weakness Critical Hit!

"Screech!" The Thunder Eagle King let out a painful shriek. The old injury on its left wing had been struck, and the excruciating pain made it almost lose control. It flapped its wings frantically, trying to increase the distance, but Su Qingyue's Spell had already arrived.

"Vast Cold - Ice Seal!"

An ice-blue light enveloped the Thunder Eagle King's left wing, instantly freezing the blood at the old injury, along with the surrounding muscles and feathers. Although it only lasted for two seconds, it was enough for Lin Ye.

Void Cutting!

Lin Ye pressed his fingers together like a sword, slashing three spatial rifts in succession at the old injury. The invisible cutting force ignored the defense of feathers and scales, acting directly on the flesh.

-1222! -1333! -1444!

Three attacks, each precisely hitting the same spot. The ice layer at the old injury shattered, the flesh split open, revealing the bone inside—there was indeed an old crack there!

"Chen Hao!" Lin Ye landed and shouted.

"Understood!" Chen Hao had long been ready. He activated [God King Descends], his attributes skyrocketing, and his long spear transformed into a silver dragon, thrusting directly at the Thunder Eagle King's left wing joint.

This spear thrust contained all his power.

"Pfft!"

The spear tip pierced into the joint gap, then he gave it a violent twist!

"Snap!" The sound of bone shattering was clearly audible.

[System Prompt: Thunder Eagle King's left wing joint severely damaged!]

[Status: Flight ability impaired (Flight altitude reduced by 50%, flight speed reduced by 70%, unable to use "Thunder Dive")]

[Left wing defense: -30% -> -60%]

[Left wing imbalance probability: 10% -> 40%]

Success!

The Thunder Eagle King went completely berserk. Ignoring the excruciating pain in its left wing, it slammed its right wing hard towards Chen Hao. The lightning on its wings erupted, turning into countless electric snakes that descended to engulf him.

"Watch out!" Lin Ye activated Void Step, instantly appearing in front of Chen Hao, the myriad mother qi cauldron enlarging to block above their heads.

"Clang, clang, clang, clang!" The dense lightning bombarded the cauldron, causing the small vessel to tremble violently, the Chaos patterns on its surface flickering frantically. Lin Ye could feel the spirituality within the cauldron wailing; it was reaching its limit.

But he had successfully protected Chen Hao.

"Retreat!" Lin Ye pulled Chen Hao back rapidly.

The Thunder Eagle King still wanted to pursue, but the excruciating pain in its left wing made it unable to maintain balance; its diving motion was crooked, and its speed was greatly reduced. Su Qingyue took the Opportunity to cast ice Spells again, ice cones falling like rain; although the damage wasn't high, it further restricted its movements.

The battle entered the second phase.

Having lost its flight advantage, the Thunder Eagle King's threat was greatly reduced. But it was, after all, a level 40 Boss, still having over 100,000 HP, and its attack power remained terrifying.

"Take turns tanking the damage!" Lin Ye commanded. "Zhang Meng, rest. Qingyue, control. Chen Hao and I will be the main attackers. Target its eyes and right wing!"

The four began to methodically gang up on it. Lin Ye used Void Step to blink constantly, attacking the Thunder Eagle King's vitals from all angles. The defense-ignoring trait of Void Cutting allowed him to deal stable damage every time. Chen Hao focused on the right wing; although he couldn't cause severe damage like he did to the left wing, he could at least restrict its flapping.

Su Qingyue's control was crucial. Whenever the Thunder Eagle King wanted to release [Storm Vortex], she would use ice Spells to interrupt the casting. Although Zhang Meng's shield was about to break, he still gritted his teeth and stood at the front, using his body to buy time for his teammates to output damage.

Time passed minute by minute.

The Thunder Eagle King's HP dropped steadily: 80%, 70%, 60%...

When its HP dropped to 50%, it triggered its berserk state.

"Screech!" Amidst the deafening eagle cry, the feathers on the Thunder Eagle King's body stood on end, cyan-purple electric light surged out frantically, forming a lightning field with a diameter of five zhang around it. The four people within range simultaneously took continuous lightning damage, losing 200 HP per second!

"Get out!" Lin Ye shouted urgently.

The four quickly exited the range of the lightning field. But the Thunder Eagle King clearly didn't intend to let them off; it dragged its injured left wing, approaching the group step by step. Although it couldn't fly, its ground movement speed was still very fast.

"We can't let it leave this open area!" Lin Ye looked around. "Lure it to the rock wall over there, restrict its space to maneuver!"

The four fought while retreating, luring the Thunder Eagle King to the rock wall on one side of the valley entrance. The terrain there was narrow, restricting the movements of the Thunder Eagle King's massive body, while the four could use the rocks as cover.

The tactic worked.

In the narrow terrain, the Thunder Eagle King's attacks had a hard time hitting the agile Lin Ye and Chen Hao. And Su Qingyue's ice Spells could fall from above the rock wall, continuously dealing damage and slowing it down.

The Thunder Eagle King's HP continued to drop: 40%, 30%, 20%...

When its HP dropped to 10%, it made its final struggle.

The Thunder Eagle King stopped, looking up and screaming. The thunderclouds in the sky seemed to be summoned, with countless lightning bolts gathering towards it. Its body began to swell, and the electric light on its feathers grew increasingly intense, as if it would explode at any moment.

"Is it going to self-destruct?!" Chen Hao exclaimed.

"No, it's about to release an ultimate skill!" Lin Ye's pupils constricted. "Qingyue, use full-power Ice Seal! Zhang Meng, prepare to use your shield to block the impact! Chen Hao, attack its head with me to interrupt the casting!"

Su Qingyue gritted her teeth, disregarding damage to her spirit body, and once again forcibly cast "Absolute Zero." This time, she only froze the Thunder Eagle King's head.

The ice layer covered the Thunder Eagle King's skull; although it only lasted for a second before being shattered by the lightning, that one second of stiffness was enough.

Lin Ye and Chen Hao attacked simultaneously.

"Chaos Heaven Opening - Full Power!"

"God King Spear - Army Breaker!"

Two attacks, one gray and one silver-white, hit the center of the Thunder Eagle King's forehead at the same time.

-8888! -6666!

Two huge damage numbers floated up.

The Thunder Eagle King's HP bar hit zero.

[System Prompt: You killed the Thunder Eagle King (Level 40 Boss)!]

[Obtained 120,000 EXP!]

[Your level increased to 31!]

[Your level increased to 32!]

[Your level increased to 33!]

[Due to killing a higher-level enemy and completing the Dao Palace Trial, bonus rewards: Free Attribute Points x 30, Skill Points x 10, exclusive title "Wind and Thunder Conqueror"]

[Dao Palace Trial quest completed!]

[Breakthrough conditions met. Do you want to start the Breakthrough immediately?]

Three levels up in a row! And the rewards were generous!

The Thunder Eagle King's massive body crashed to the ground, kicking up clouds of dust. On its corpse, several items emitted an alluring glow.

Lin Ye walked forward and first picked up a pair of cyan-purple wings—they were condensed from the essence feathers of the Thunder Eagle King's wings, only palm-sized, but contained terrifying wind and thunder power inside.

[wind and thunder wings (Epic)]

Quality: Epic (Purple)

Type: Special Equipment / Flight Item

Effect: After equipping, gain flight ability, flight speed is 300% of base movement speed, maximum flight altitude 100 meters. Consumes 20 Divine Power per second while flying, can actively activate "Wind and Thunder Acceleration" (Flight speed +100% for 10 seconds, cooldown 5 minutes).

Trait: Wind and Thunder Affinity (Wind and Thunder attribute damage +20%, resistance +30%)

Equipment Requirement: Strength ≥ 200, Agility ≥ 250, Level ≥ 30

Description: Formed from the life essence of the Thunder Eagle King, containing the purest fragments of wind and thunder Laws. Those who wear these wings can soar through the Nine Heavens and master wind and thunder. This is a growth-type equipment; as the user's strength increases, more abilities may be unlocked.

Flight equipment! And it's Epic quality!

Lin Ye was excited. With this, he would no longer be restricted to the ground, and his combat style would undergo a qualitative change. Furthermore, the "growth" trait meant that it might ascend to Legendary or even higher in the future.

The second item was a fist-sized purple crystal with lightning roaming inside.

[Thunder Crystal (Epic)]

Quality: Epic (Purple)

Type: Material / Energy Source

Effect: Contains the Thunder Eagle King's Origin thunder power, can be used to refine thunder-attribute equipment, Medicinal Pill, or absorbed directly to improve thunder-attribute Cultivation Technique proficiency (but there is a risk of being backlashed by the lightning).

Description: The essence condensed from the Thunder Eagle King's heart, formed after thirty years of wind and thunder tempering. The thunder power within is extremely violent; those not specialized in thunder attributes should use with caution.

The third item was a cyan feather, much smaller than the wind and thunder wings but more solid.

[Wind Feather (Fine)]

Quality: Fine (Blue)

Type: Material

Effect: Can be used to craft wind-attribute equipment or Talisman, enhancing wind-attribute skill effects.

Description: The most essential feather from the Thunder Eagle King's left wing, containing pure wind element.

The fourth item was a quest item—a palm-sized token, with the words "Dao Palace" engraved on the front and a big dipper pattern on the back.

[Dao Palace Token (Special)]

Type: Quest Item / Breakthrough Credential

Effect: Holding this token can open the Dao Palace Secret Realm, officially stepping into the Dao Palace Realm. It will disappear after use.

Description: Proof of completing the Dao Palace Trial, containing a trace of Dao Law fragments. Using this token to Breakthrough can increase the success rate by 5%.

Four items, each worth a fortune.

Lin Ye put away the wind and thunder wings and the Thunder Crystal, and handed the Wind Feather to Chen Hao: "This is for you. Your spear technique follows an agile route, and the wind attribute can increase your speed."

Chen Hao took it, his eyes lighting up: "Thanks, Brother Ye!"

He held the Dao Palace Token in his hand; Lin Ye could feel the power of the Laws contained within. Using it to Breakthrough would not only increase the success rate but also make the Dao Palace Secret Realm more stable.

"Are we breaking through now?" Su Qingyue asked.

Lin Ye looked at the surrounding environment and shook his head: "It's not safe here. Breaking through to the Dao Palace Realm will trigger heaven and earth anomalies, and it will definitely be detected by other factions. We need to find a more hidden place."

He also put the Thunder Eagle King's corpse into his storage ring—a level 40 boss's corpse was a treasure trove; its feathers, claws, and bones were all excellent Materials and couldn't be wasted.

"Let's leave Wind and Thunder Valley first."

The four quickly evacuated. Just as they walked out of the valley entrance, Lin Ye felt the Yaoguang Alliance Token in his bosom heating up slightly.

He took out the jade tablet, and a thought entered his mind:

"Lin Ye, return to the Capital City of Yan State immediately. The Holy Land has urgent matters to discuss regarding the Void Scripture and... the news that the Western player 'Zeus' has broken through to the Dao Palace Realm."

Ji Mingyue's voice carried a rare solemnity.

Western player "Zeus," the first person on the entire server to break through to the Dao Palace Realm?

Lin Ye's eyes narrowed. It seemed that the game's progress was much faster than he had anticipated.